Spotlight Series: Jess, P.

Bonjour friends. Today on the #PumpUpBlog we spotlighted 22 year old French volleyball player and horseback rider, @jesspetitechery. Getting to know Jess better, we think she is an amazingly strong person on the inside and out. Read on to learn how Jess overcame her battle with anorexia, her biggest motivation, and her everyday life now that she’s part of the PumpUp Fam.

How many of us can relate to having little time during the day to get everything done, let alone our workouts on top of life? Jess can sympathize with you as she started using PumpUp over 13 weeks ago because she found herself with no time left to go to the gym. PumpUp appealed to Jess because you could use it at home, and was super simple to use and get the hang of.

Jess tells us that she had a fairly sedentary routine before using PumpUp. She tells us, “I never used to do any kind of fitness other than volleyball and horseback riding. Jess was also eating a lot of junk foods, “I ate a lot of Fast Food, sometimes 3 times a week. I also would eat a lot of candies, chips, and drank 1L of Coke everyday and I rarely ate fruits.” Now that Jess is totally aboard the PumpUp train she has changed a lot of her old habits. Jess lets us know, “ I am now using PumpUp everyday. I train my legs 4 times a week, my arms and shoulders 2 times a week, and my core everyday.” Now that is some awesome dedication! Fitness isn’t the only game changer for Jess, it’s her eating habits that have also changed, “today I’m paying more attention to what I eat, for example, I eat a lot more protein rich foods like cheese, milk, and chicken breast.” Jess does let herself have “Cheat Meal Days” usually on a Saturday.

Changing her fitness and eating routine was one thing for Jess, but she completely changed her lifestyle from skinny, to strong. She explains to us the struggle she went through, “1 year ago I fell into anorexia nervosa. I lost a lot of weight in a very short period of time. I went from 59kg to 41 kg (130 lbs to 90 pounds.) I then saw a lot of pictures on Instagram, from Michelle Lewin, Paige Hathaway, and Ainsley Rodriguez. When I saw these pictures of strong women I got very motivated to get into fitness and change my lifestyle into being strong and not just skinny. In doing so I realized that my current lifestyle was insane and I needed to change.”

Since using PumpUp, Jess has already accomplished one of her goals, and that was to feel better in her own skin. Jess also says, “I want to bulk up my muscles for a better look and also for being more efficient in my other sports.” Jess’s biggest motivation to do this comes from someone that inspired her at the beginning of her journey, Michelle Lewin, a fitness model who lives in Miami.

Another huge motivation of Jess’s is her Dad, who passed away just a few weeks ago is a biking accident. She says, “My father is also my motivation. He was a very positive person and always told me to never give up. Most importantly, I want him to be proud of me.” I think we can speak for everyone that not only would your father be proud of you, but we are too! You continue to inspire us with your attitude and healthy lifestyle, keep up the hard work.

Jess’s Favourites:

Fave Drink: “A non-alcoholic cocktail with a lot of fruits.”

Fave Snack: “ Yogurt with cherries and raspberries.”

Favourite Motivational Saying: “My favourite motivational saying is going to be my next tattoo which is: The pain of today is the victory of tomorrow.”

Favourite Exercise: “I love doing squats, every kind of squats. And strangely I love doing the Push-Up to Plank, the Oblique Mountain Climber, the Crunch and the Frog Sit-Ups.”

Favourite Part About PumpUp: “I love that PumpUp can be used everywhere; at home, on the beach, at your workplace and the best part is it’s totally free, not like the gym or other fitness apps.”

Something Interesting About Jess:

“I’m an educator, so I’m a person who loves helping others in every way. As of August, I begin correspondence courses to become Fitness Coach. I am doing this because I want to give other people the same motivation to reach their goals as I did.”

Jess has some of her best advice for everyone, “Be positive no matter what happens in life. Always look forward and not behind because you don’t have eyes on your back. Practicing any kind of sport is the best way to evacuate your negative feelings.”

Follow Jess on PumpUp and Instagram @jesspetitechery to be wowed by her amazing photos, and her positive and active lifestyle. Thanks for being you Jess, keep it up!